Carney to take part in European summit on security, trade

Prime Minister Mark Carney met Sunday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his nation’s capital ahead of the European Political Community summit, a gathering touching on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure. Canada is the first non-European country to attend these meetings, which have taken place twice a year since they began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meetings include EU countries and others, such as Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine itself.Carney thanked Pashinyan for the invitation to attend the summit during their meeting, saying it comes at a “crucial time” for Europe and European values.The Prime Minister’s Office said the trip will focus on Ukraine’s defence and drumming up more trade and investment across the continent.Carney will be in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, until Monday and is set to hold bilateral discussions with numerous world leaders during the summit, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. Story continues below advertisement He will also join a trilateral meeting between European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.Foreign Affairs